Vehicle routing and scheduling systems

ABSTRACT

A routing and scheduling computer system that is adapted to define a plurality of geofenced areas and to monitor vehicle activity within each of those areas (e.g., via telematics sensors mounted on vehicles traveling within the areas). The system may be adapted to use information regarding the monitored vehicle activity to estimate: (1) a first amount of time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations within a first one of the geofenced areas; and (2) a second amount of time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations within a second one of the geofenced areas. The system may then route a particular vehicle to make one or more pickups or deliveries within the first or second geographic areas based at least in part on the first and second estimates of time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisionalapplication Ser. No. 12/553,191, filed on Sep. 3, 2009, which claimspriority to Provisional Application No. 61/094,194, filed Sep. 4, 2008,which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

Delivery vehicle driver efficiency is a key objective for transportationcompanies. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to develop newtechnologies to enhance driver efficiency.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A routing and scheduling computer system comprising at least oneprocessor and memory, the computer system being configured for: (A)defining a geofence surrounding a first geographic area; (B) receiving afirst set of information associated with the first geographic area; (C)determining, based at least in part on the first set of information, afirst time estimate, the first time estimate being an estimated amountof time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one ormore respective locations within the first geographic area within aparticular delivery cycle; (D) defining a geofence surrounding a secondgeographic area; (E) receiving a second set of information associatedwith the second geographic area; (F) determining, based at least in parton the second set of information, a second time estimate, the secondtime estimate being an estimated amount of time associated with thedelivery of a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locationswithin the second geographic area during the particular delivery cycle;and (G) routing a particular delivery vehicle to make one or morepickups or deliveries in at least one of the first or second geographicareas based at least in part on the first and second estimates of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms,reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one type of system for use in variousembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a telematics device which may be used tocollect data in association with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an entity capable of operating asa server (e.g., a computer server) in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention; and

FIGS. 4 and 5A-5D are flow charts illustrating the process of assigningdifferent parameters to a geofenced area and using the parameters inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention now will be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, embodimentsof the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should notbe construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfyapplicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elementsthroughout.

Overall System

Referring to FIG. 1, an illustration of one type of system for use invarious embodiments of the present invention is provided. As shown inFIG. 1, the system may include one or more delivery vehicles 100responsible for the pickup and/or delivery of a plurality of packageswithin a particular delivery area. According to one embodiment, atelematics device 102 may be included within, or otherwise associatedwith, each delivery vehicle 100 for the purpose of collecting,time-stamping and/or storing vehicle sensor data from a plurality ofsensors (not shown) also included within, or otherwise associated with,the delivery vehicle 100. As discussed in more detail below with regardto FIG. 2, collected and time-stamped vehicle sensor data may include,for example, information or data associated with the vehicle's door,ignition, oil pressure, temperature, speed, location, and/or the like.

In one embodiment, the telematics device 102 may transmit some or all ofthe telematics data, via any suitable wired or wireless communicationnetwork 130, to a portable data acquisition device 110 (e.g., cellulartelephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop, etc.) operated by adriver associated with the delivery vehicle 100. The portable dataacquisition device 110 may, in turn, transmit, via the same or differentcommunication network 130, some or all of the received data to a centralserver 120, or similar network entity or mainframe computer system.According to one embodiment, the telematics device 102 may further (oralternatively) transmit some or all of the telematics data directly tothe central server 120, via the same or different communication network130. As discussed in more detail below with regard to FIGS. 3 and 4, inresponse to receiving: (A) the telematics data from the telematicsdevice 102 and/or the portable data acquisition device 110; and/or (B)data received from other systems or devices operating in connection withthe overall system, the central server 120 may use the data received toassign one or more parameters to each of a plurality of geofenceddelivery areas. These parameters may thereafter be used to monitorsafety within the geofenced area, schedule delivery of a package withinthe geofenced area, and/or the like.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the communicationnetwork 130 may be capable of supporting communication in accordancewith any one or more of a number of second-generation (2G), 2.5G and/orthird-generation (3G) mobile communication protocols or the like. Moreparticularly, the network 130 may be capable of supporting communicationin accordance with 2G wireless communication protocols IS-136 (TDMA),GSM, and IS-95 (CDMA). Also, for example, the network 130 may be capableof supporting communication in accordance with 2.5G wirelesscommunication protocols GPRS, Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), orthe like. In addition, for example, the network 130 can be capable ofsupporting communication in accordance with 3G wireless communicationprotocols such as Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) networkemploying Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) radio accesstechnology. Some narrow-band AMPS (NAMPS), as well as TACS, network(s)may also benefit from embodiments of the present invention, as shoulddual or higher mode mobile stations (e.g., digital/analog orTDMA/CDMA/analog phones). As yet another example, the telematics device102 and portable data acquisition device 110 may be configured tocommunicate with one another in accordance with techniques such as, forexample, radio frequency (RF), Bluetooth™, infrared (IrDA), or any of anumber of different wireless networking techniques, including WirelessLAN (WLAN) techniques.

Although the telematics device 102, portable data acquisition device110, and central server 120 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as communicatingwith one another over the same network 130, these devices may likewisecommunicate over separate networks. For example, while the telematicsdevice 102 may communicate with the portable data acquisition device 110over a wireless personal area network (WPAN) using, for example,Bluetooth techniques, the telematics device 102 and/or portable dataacquisition device 110 may communicate with the central server 120 overa wireless wide area network (WWAN), for example, in accordance withEDGE, or some other 2.5G wireless communication protocol.

According to one embodiment, in addition to receiving telematics datafrom the telematics device 102, the portable data acquisition device 110may be further configured to collect and transmit telematics data on itsown. For example, according to one embodiment, the portable dataacquisition device 110 may include a location determining device, suchas a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, for providing locationinformation in the form of, for example, latitude and longitude values.In particular embodiments, and as is discussed in more detail below,this location determining device may be used to gather informationregarding the location of the driver him- or herself, as opposed tolocation information associated with the delivery vehicle 100, which maybe collected (or determined) by the telematics device 102.

The portable data acquisition device 110 may be, for example, any deviceassociated with a carrier (e.g., UPS, FedEx, or the United States PostalService (USPS)). In various embodiments, the portable data acquisitiondevice 110 may be capable of receiving data via one or more input unitsor devices, such as a keypad, touchpad, barcode scanner, radio frequencyidentification (RFID) reader, interface card (e.g., modem, etc.) orreceiver. The portable data acquisition device 110 may further becapable of storing data to one or more volatile or non-volatile memorymodules, and outputting the data via one or more output units ordevices, for example, by displaying data to the user operating thedevice 110, or by transmitting data, for example over the communicationnetwork 130. One type of portable data acquisition device 110, which maybe used in conjunction with embodiments of the present invention is theDelivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD) presently utilized byUPS.

Telematics Device

Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which provides a more detailed blockdiagram of a telematics device 102 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. As noted above and explained in greater detailbelow, the telematics device 102 may collect vehicle sensor data andtransmit the data to the portable data acquisition device 110 and/orcentral server 120 via one of several communication methods.

In one embodiment, the telematics device 102 may include some or all ofthe following components: a processor 201, a location-determining deviceor sensor 202 (e.g., GPS sensor), a real-time clock 203, J-Bus protocolarchitecture 204, an electronic control module (ECM) 205, a port 206 forreceiving data from discrete sensors in a vehicle 100, a communicationport 207 for receiving instruction data, a radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tag 305, a power source 208, a data radio 209 forcommunication with a WWAN, a WLAN and/or a WPAN, FLASH, DRAM, and NVRAMmemory modules 303, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) 304. In analternative embodiment, the RFID tag 305, the location sensor 202, andthe PLC 304 may be located in the vehicle 100 external to the telematicsdevice 102.

In one embodiment, the location sensor 202, which may be one of severalcomponents available in the telematics device 102, may be compatiblewith a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite system or a Department of Defense(DOD) satellite system. Alternatively, triangulation may be used inconnection with a cellular device associated with a particular vehicleand/or the vehicle's driver and with various cellular towers positionedat various locations throughout a geographic area in order to determinethe location of the delivery vehicle 100 and/or its driver. The locationsensor 202 may be used to receive position, time, and speed data. Thesensor 202 may also allow the telematics device 102 to communicate tothe central server 120, or similar network entity or mainframe computersystem, via a WWAN. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat more than one location sensor 202 may be utilized, and that othersimilar techniques may likewise be used to collect geo-locationinformation associated with the delivery vehicle 100 and/or its driver.

In one embodiment, the ECM 205 with J-Bus protocol 204 may be one ofseveral components available in the telematics device 102. The ECM 205,which may be a scalable and subservient device to the telematics device102, may have data processor capability to decode and store analog anddigital inputs and ECM data streams from vehicle systems and sensors410, 420. The ECM 205 may further have data processing capability tocollect and present vehicle data to the J-Bus 204 (which may allowtransmittal to the telematics device 102), and output standard vehiclediagnostic codes when received from a vehicle's J-Bus-compatibleon-board controllers 420 or sensors 410.

In one embodiment, on/off sensors, which register a voltage amount thatcorresponds with an on/off condition of the sensor, may be disposedwithin the vehicle 100 for collecting data. For example, one or moredoor position sensors may be connected, for example, to the driver side,passenger side, and bulkhead doors, and may register 0V when the doorwith which the sensor is associated is in an open position, and 12V whenthe door is closed. As another example, an ignition sensor may register0V when the vehicle 100 is turned off and 12V when the vehicle 100 isturned on. As yet another example, a backing light sensor may register0V when the vehicles' backing lights are off and 12V when the vehicle'sbacking lights are on.

In one embodiment, variable voltage sensors, which may be used toregister variations in voltage, may also be disposed within a vehicle100 for collecting data. For example, oil pressure sensors may detectthe vehicle's oil pressure by registering a particular voltage thatcorresponds to a particular oil pressure. The voltage of the sensor mayincrease or decrease proportionately with increases or decreases in oilpressure. Other examples of variable voltage sensors may include vehicletemperature and/or vehicle speed sensors.

In one embodiment, an instruction data receiving port 207 may be one ofseveral components available in the telematics device 102. Embodimentsof the instruction data receiving port 207 may include an Infrared DataAssociation (IrDA) communication port, a data radio, and/or a serialport. The instruction receiving data port 207 may receive instructionsfor the telematics device 102. These instructions may be specific to thevehicle 100 in which the telematics device 102 is installed, specific tothe geographical area in which the vehicle 100 will be traveling, orspecific to the function the vehicle 100 serves within the fleet.

In one embodiment, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 305 maybe one of several components available for use with the telematicsdevice 102. One embodiment of the RFID tag 305 may include an activeRFID tag, which comprises at least one of the following: (1) an internalclock; (2) a memory; (3) a microprocessor; and (4) at least one inputinterface for connecting with sensors located in the vehicle 100 or thetelematics device 102. Another embodiment of the RFID tag 305 may be apassive RFID tag.

One or more RFID tags 305 may be internal to the telematics device 102,wired to the telematics device 102, and/or proximate to the telematicsdevice 102. Each RFID tag 305 may communicate wirelessly with RFIDinterrogators within a certain geographical range of each other. RFIDinterrogators may be located external to the vehicle 100 and/or withinthe portable data acquisition device 110 that can be carried in and outof the vehicle 100 by the vehicle's operator.

In one embodiment, the data radio 209 may be one of several componentsavailable in the telematics device 102. The data radio 209 may beconfigured to communicate with a WWAN, WLAN, or WPAN, or any combinationthereof. In one embodiment, a WPAN data radio provides connectivitybetween the telematics device 102 and peripheral devices used in closeproximity to the vehicle 100, such as the portable data acquisitiondevice 110, a local computer, and/or a cellular telephone. As mentionedabove, in one embodiment of the invention, a WPAN, such as, for example,a Bluetooth™ network (IEEE 802.15.1 standard compatible) may be used totransfer information between the telematics device 102 and the portabledata acquisition device 110. In other embodiments, WPANs compatible withthe IEEE 802 family of standards may be used. In one embodiment, thedata radio 209 may be a Bluetooth™ serial port adapter that communicateswirelessly via WPAN to a Bluetooth™ chipset located in the portable dataacquisition device 110, or other peripheral device. As discussed abovewith regard to FIG. 1, and as one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily recognize, other wireless protocols exist and can likewise beused in association with embodiments of the present invention.

As discussed above with regard to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, vehicleperformance and tracking data collected by the telematics device 102(i.e., telematics data) may be transmitted via a WPAN to, and stored by,the portable data acquisition device 110 until a communication link canbe established between the portable data acquisition device 110 and thecentral server 120, or similar network entity or mainframe computersystem. In one embodiment, the portable data acquisition device 110 maydisplay telematics data for the driver's viewing, which may be helpfulin troubleshooting vehicle performance problems and showing deliveryroute progress and instructions. In an alternative embodiment, theportable data acquisition device 110 may be a hand-held data acquisitiondevice, such as an iPAQ. The Media Access Control (MAC) address, whichis a code unique to each Bluetooth™-enabled device that identifies thedevice, similar to an Internet protocol address identifying a computerin communication with the Internet, can be communicated to other devicesin communication with the WPAN, which may assist in identifying andallowing communication among vehicles, cargo, and portable dataacquisition devices equipped with Bluetooth™ devices.

Central Server

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an entity capable ofoperating as the central server 120, or similar network entity, is shownin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The entitycapable of operating as the central server 120 includes various meansfor performing one or more functions in accordance with embodiments ofthe present invention, including those more particularly shown anddescribed herein. It should be understood, however, that one or more ofthe entities may include alternative means for performing one or morelike functions, without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

As shown, the entity capable of operating as the central server 120 cangenerally include means, such as a processor 310 for performing orcontrolling the various functions of the entity. For example, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention, the processor 310 may beconfigured to perform the operations discussed in more detail below withregard to FIG. 4 for assigning various parameters to a geofenced area,wherein the parameters may thereafter be used to monitor performance,assist in providing a delivery route, more accurately price the pick-upand delivery of a package within the geofenced area, and/or the like. Inparticular, according to one embodiment, the processor 310 may beconfigured to first define one or more geographic areas within which apackage may be picked up or delivered, and then define a geofencesurrounding each geographic area. The processor 310 may further beconfigured to gather information associated with each geofenced area(e.g., by receiving and analyzing the telematics data collected andtransmitted by the telematics device 102 and/or the portable dataacquisition device 110 while pick-ups and deliveries were being made inthat geofenced area), and to assign one or more parameters to eachgeofenced area. While the foregoing describes a single processor 310, asone of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the central server 120may comprise multiple processors operating in conjunction with oneanother to perform the functionality described herein.

In one embodiment, the processor 310 is in communication with and/orincludes memory 320, such as volatile and/or non-volatile memory thatstores content, data or the like. For example, the memory 320 typicallystores content transmitted from, and/or received by, the entity. Alsofor example, the memory 320 typically stores software applications,instructions or the like for the processor 310 to perform stepsassociated with operation of the entity in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention. For example, the memory 320 may storeapplications, instructions, or the like for the processor 310 to performthe steps discussed below with regard to FIG. 4 for assigning variousparameters to each of one or more geofenced areas.

In addition to the memory 320, the processor 310 can also be connectedto at least one interface or other means for displaying, transmittingand/or receiving data, content or the like. In this regard, theinterface(s) can include at least one communication interface 330 orother means for transmitting and/or receiving data, content or the like,as well as at least one user interface that can include a display 340and/or a user input interface 350. The user input interface, in turn,can comprise any of a number of devices allowing the entity to receivedata from a user, such as a keypad, a touch display, a joystick or otherinput device.

While reference is made to a central “server” 120, as one of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize, embodiments of the present inventionare not limited to a client-server architecture. The system of variousembodiments of the present invention is further not limited to a singleserver, or similar network entity or mainframe computer system. Othersimilar architectures including one or more network entities operatingin conjunction with one another to provide the functionality describedherein may likewise be used without departing from the spirit and scopeof embodiments of the present invention. For example, a mesh network oftwo or more personal computers (PCs), or similar electronic devices,collaborating with one another to provide the functionality describedherein in association with the central server 120 may likewise be usedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of embodiments of thepresent invention.

Defining Geographic and/or Geofenced Areas

Referring now to FIG. 4, the operations are illustrated that may betaken in order to assign one or more parameters to each of a pluralityof geofenced areas, wherein the parameters may be used, for example, tomonitor the performance of a delivery vehicle driver operating withinthe corresponding geofenced area, assist in providing a delivery routefor the delivery vehicle driver, more accurately charge for pick-upand/or delivery of a package within the geofenced area, and/or the like.As shown, the process may be begin at Block 401 when a central system,such as the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, a processor 310or similar means operating on the central server 120, defines one ormore geographic areas or regions within which one or more packages maybe picked up and/or delivered. Each geographic area may, for example,represent an area in which a single driver may be capable of handlingall package pick ups and deliveries within a given delivery cycle (e.g.,one eight-hour day). In one embodiment, the geographic areas may bedefined based on a predefined size requirement (e.g., a new geographicarea may occur every 100,000 square feet). Alternatively, the geographicarea may be defined based on zoning classifications associated withdifferent geographic areas (e.g., an office park may make up anindividual geographic area). In this embodiment, the central system(e.g., the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310or similar means operating on the central server 120) may first downloadinformation regarding zoning classifications, for example, from awebsite operated by a government entity, or some other third-partysource.

In another embodiment, the central system may review historic datagathered in association with the deliveries and pickups made within aparticular geographic area to determine the area's zoningclassification. For example, the package information associated withpackages picked up or delivered within a particular geographic area mayindicate that the delivery/pickup was “residential” or “commercial,”indicating that the geographic area itself should be classified asresidential or commercial, respectively.

In another embodiment, one or more of the geographic areas may bedefined based on the existence of one or more housing subdivisions,office parks, and/or the like. For example, each housing subdivision, ora combination of two or more abutting housing subdivisions, may make upa defined geographic area. This may depend, for example, on the squarefootage of each subdivision and/or the number of houses (and, therefore,potential stops) within each subdivision.

In yet another alternative embodiment, one or more of the geographicareas may be defined based on the average number of stops and/or thefrequency of stops within certain geographic areas, as determined, forexample, based on information gathered regarding past pick ups anddeliveries within that geographic area. For example, each geographicarea may be limited to a certain number of regular stops.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, a geographicarea may overlap or reside wholly within another geographic area.Geographic areas may, for example, be as small as a singledelivery/pickup stop or a suite within a commercial building, or aslarge as an entire town. According to various embodiments, thegeographic areas need not be continuous. In other words, a geographicarea may specifically exclude an area that would otherwise fall withinthe geographic area (e.g., such that the geographic area forms a donutor similar shape around the excluded area).

As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize in light of thisdisclosure, the geographic areas may be defined based on any number andcombination of factors including, but not limited to, those describedabove. The foregoing examples are, therefore, provided for exemplarypurposes only and should not be taken in any way as limiting embodimentsof the present invention to the examples provided.

Once the geographic areas have been defined, the central system (e.g.,the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, a processor 310 orsimilar means operating on the central server 120) may, at Block 402,define a geofence surrounding each of the defined geographic areas, suchas a neighborhood. The geofence may be defined, for example, by thelatitude and longitude coordinates associated with various points alongthe perimeter of the geographic area. Alternatively, the geofence may bedefined based on latitude and longitude coordinates of the center, aswell as the radius, of the geographic area. The geographic area, andtherefore the geofence, may be any shape including, but not limited to,a circle, square, rectangle, an irregular shape, or the like. Inaddition, it is not necessary that the geofenced areas be the same shapeor size. Alternatively, any combination of shapes and sizes may be usedin accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Once the geofence has been defined for a geographic area, thecoordinates (or similar means for defining the geofenced areas) may bestored in a database associated with the central system. In addition,the coordinates (or similar means for defining the geofenced area) maybe (a) uploaded to the data acquisition device and/or telematics device102 associated with the driver and delivery vehicle 100, respectively,and (b) assigned to pick up and deliver packages for that area.

Gathering Information about Geographic and/or Geofenced Areas

Next, the central system (e.g., the central server 120 and, in oneembodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operating on the centralserver 120) may gather information in association with each geographicarea (Block 403). For example, as discussed above, according to oneembodiment, the central system may receive telematics data that has beencollected, in real-time, by the telematics device 102 and/or theportable data acquisition device 110, while a driver was operating adelivery vehicle 100 within the corresponding geographic area. Thetelematics data may include, for example: (1) time data; (2) geographicposition data associated with the vehicle 100 and/or the driver (e.g.,based on a GPS, or similar, receiver associated with: (A) the vehicleand/or (B) the portable data acquisition device 110 operated by thedriver); (3) speed data; (4) distance data (e.g., mileage data); (5)ignition data; (6) data associated with one or more of the doors of thevehicle 100 being opened and/or closed; and/or (7) other data.

The telematics data received may indicate, or be used to calculate,among other things, the time the vehicle entered and/or exited thegeofenced area (e.g., based on time and location information associatedwith the vehicle). This information, along with additional telematicsdata indicating when the vehicle ignition is turned on and off and/orwhen a vehicle door is opened and closed, may further indicate thenumber of stops performed while the vehicle was operated within thegeofenced area.

For example, location information received by the location sensor (e.g.,GPS sensor) included in the telematics device (or the vehicle itself)may indicate that the delivery vehicle has entered the geofenced area.Once inside the geofenced area, the telematics device may monitor theignition sensor to determine when the ignition is turned on and offand/or the vehicle's door position sensors to determine when the driverside, passenger side and/or bulkhead door is opened and closed. Thecollection of this information may be used to determine how many timesthe delivery vehicle was stopped to make a delivery or pickup (e.g., howmany times the ignition was turned off and/or how many times the door(s)were opened) within the geofenced area. If the delivery vehicle entersand exits the geofenced area more than once within a given deliverycycle (e.g., one eight-hour shift), the number of stops made during eachvisit into the geofenced area may be considered individually and/orcombined to determine a total number of stops within the geofenced areaduring the delivery cycle.

The telematics data received may further indicate, with regard to eachstop made within the geofenced area, the amount of time spent and thedistance traversed by a delivery vehicle itself and/or the deliveryvehicle driver (e.g., the time/distance associated with having thedriver walk from the vehicle to a particular dropoff location). In oneembodiment, the time spent making a particular delivery may bedetermined, for example, by taking the difference between the time atwhich the vehicle's ignition sensor indicates that the vehicle ignitionis turned off at the particular stop and the time at which the ignitionsensor indicates that the vehicle's ignition is turned back on at thestop. The distance traversed (e.g., walked) by a delivery vehicle driverin association with a delivery/pickup stop may be determined, forexample, in one of at least three ways.

First, according to one embodiment of the present invention, thedistance traversed by a delivery vehicle driver in association with adelivery/pickup stop may be determined by tracking the driver's location(e.g., using a GPS device associated with the driver or the driver'shandheld device) as the driver moves between: (1) the driver's locationat the moment the vehicle's ignition is turned off at the particularstop, and (2) his or her location up to the moment when the deliveryvehicle's ignition is turned back on at the particular stop.

In a second embodiment, the distance traversed by a delivery vehicledriver in association with a delivery/pickup stop may be determinedbased, at least in part, on: (1) the location of the vehicle at themoment the vehicle's ignition is turned off (e.g., as determined by theGPS, or similar device in the vehicle); and (2) the location of (e.g.,latitude and longitude coordinates associated with) a drop-off location(e.g., a particular door) at that particular stop (e.g., the front doorof a particular house). For example, the system may simply calculate thedistance between the location of the vehicle and the drop-off locationat the particular stop (e.g., along a straight path, or along aparticular path of travel). In various embodiments, the latitude andlongitude coordinates of a drop off location associated with each ofvarious stops (e.g., the front or side door of a residential home) mayhave been obtained and stored in memory over time as deliveries/pickupsare made to those stops. For example, the location of an electronicdevice associated with the delivery vehicle driver or the deliveryvehicle (e.g., DIAD) may have been captured at the moment the driverindicated that the package was delivered to the recipient or picked upfrom the shipper. Once gathered, this information may thereafter be usedto, among other things, identify the pickup/delivery location for theparticular stop and, therefore, the distance traversed by the driver inorder to make future pickups/deliveries at that stop.

According to a third embodiment, the distance traversed by a deliveryvehicle driver in association with a delivery/pickup stop may bedetermined based, at least in part, on: (1) the latitude and longitudecoordinates associated with the pickup location at a particular stop;and (2) the point on the street segment that is the shortest distancefrom those latitude and longitude coordinates. This may be done, forexample, using the techniques described above.

Alternatively, or in addition, the telematics data may indicate thevehicle's speed at various times and locations within the geofencedarea, and/or the number of miles traversed when the vehicle was operatedwithin the geofenced area during, for example, a given delivery cycle(e.g., one eight-hour shift). With regard to the latter, as above, ifthe delivery vehicle makes multiple visits into the geofenced areaduring a particular delivery cycle, the mileage driven within thegeofenced area during the delivery cycle may be calculated by summingthe mileage accumulated during the multiple visits.

Using the aforementioned data received and/or calculated in associationwith a plurality of delivery vehicles operating within the geofencedarea over a certain period of time, the central system (e.g., thecentral server 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similarmeans operating on the central server 120) may calculate, for example,for a given delivery cycle (e.g., one, eight-hour shift), the averagetime spent and/or miles traversed within the geofenced area, the averagenumber of stops performed, the average amount of time spent and distancetraversed per stop, the average speed conducted, and/or the like. Thedata received may further be used, for example, to calculate an averagespeed associated with various segments within different geofenced areas,as well as the average speed of those segments at different times of theday. As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the foregoingexamples of types of telematics data collected, as well as calculationswhich may be preformed based on the data received, are provided forexemplary purposes only and should not be taken in any way as limitingthe scope of embodiments of the present invention to the examplesprovided. In contrast, other types of telematics data may be gatheredand other types of calculations may be performed without departing fromthe spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

Alternatively, or in addition, in order to gather information associatedwith the geofenced area, the central system (e.g., the central server120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operatingon the server) may receive zoning information associated with eachgeofenced area. As noted above, this information may be received, forexample, by downloading the information to the central system from asuitable source, such as a government-operated website, or some otherthird-party source.

In one embodiment, the zoning information received may include, forexample, a designation of whether the geographic area as a whole, orsub-areas within the geographic area, are zoned for open space,residential, agricultural, commercial or industrial activities. Thezoning information may further indicate, for example, whether aresidential area is for single family homes, multi-tenant homes,high-rise apartment buildings, or the like. As also noted above, thezoning information may be determined based on a historical analysis ofthe information associated with packages picked up and/or deliveredwithin the geofenced areas.

According to one embodiment, the zoning information, either receivedfrom a government-operated website or some other third-party source, ordetermined based on a historical analysis of previous pickups/deliveriesmade within the area, may be used by the central system (e.g., thecentral server 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similarmeans operating on the server) to define a zoning classification for thegeofenced area. In one embodiment, the zoning classification may have adirect correlation to the government-specified zoning designation (e.g.,a geofenced area including only land that has been zoned commercial, maybe classified as commercial by the central server 120).

Alternatively, where, for example, the zoning information associatedwith a particular geofenced area includes multiple differentdesignations, the central system may define a zoning classification thatcorresponds to the most predominate zoning designation (e.g., ageofenced area including a small area zoned commercial, but a largerarea zoned residential, may be classified residential by the centralsystem). The zoning classification defined by the central system mayhave more or less detail than the government-specified zoningdesignation (e.g., the government may zone an area residential—singlefamily homes, while the central server 120 may define the zoningclassification as merely residential, and vice versa) and/or the zoneidentification included in the package information provided by thecustomer.

In yet another embodiment, in order to gather information associatedwith the geofenced area, the central system (e.g., the central server120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operatingon the server) may further be configured to receive an indication of thegovernment-assigned speed limit(s) associated with the geofenced area.As above, in various embodiments, this information may be downloadedfrom a suitable source, such as a government-operated website. As one ofordinary skill in the art will recognize, each geofenced area may haveonly one, or alternatively multiple, government-assigned speed limit(s)associated therewith.

Entry of Speed Limit Information and Other Information

In one embodiment, information regarding the government-assigned speedlimit associated with various street segments within a geofenced areamay be continuously gathered and updated by delivery vehicle driversthemselves as they traverse the geofenced area. For example, accordingto one embodiment, a driver may, as he or she is driving within aparticular area, upload the current speed limit each time the speedlimit changes in a particular geographical area (including, for example,when the speed limit changes due to a construction zone). This may bedone, for example, by having the driver stop his vehicle when he sees aparticular speed limit sign, and then having the driver manually enterthe speed limit information posted on the sign into a handheld device(e.g., a DIAD), or other computing device, such as an on-board computingdevice associated with the vehicle.

In other embodiments, the driver's vehicle or handheld device may beequipped with voice recognition software. In such embodiments, thedriver may, for example, press a “speed limit input” button on thevehicle's console, or on the driver's handheld device, and then simplysay the current speed limit out loud. The speech recognition softwarethen converts the speed limit information that is conveyed verbally bythe driver into corresponding digital data and saves the information tomemory.

In particular embodiments, rather than pressing a “speed limit input”button to verbally enter speed limit data, the user may issue a specificvoice command, such as “enter speed limit information,” which isrecognized by an on-board computer associated with the vehicle or theuser's handheld device. The user may then convey the speed limitinformation verbally as discussed above.

In particular embodiments, as (or after) the speed limit information isreceived from the driver, the information is uploaded to a centralserver. This may be done either substantially in real time (e.g., as theinformation is being received from the driver), or at a particular timeafter the information is received from the driver (e.g., after thevehicle returns to a particular location where information stored in thevehicle's on-board computer is to be uploaded to a central server forprocessing). In particular embodiments, the speed limit information maybe linked (e.g., automatically) to the vehicle's location at leastapproximately the moment (e.g., at the moment) that the speed limitinformation was captured by the system or uploaded. For example, if thedriver stops the vehicle and inputs a speed limit of “45 mph” into thesystem at 4:45 pm on Aug. 12, 2009, the system may: (1) retrieveinformation from GPS sensors on the vehicle or in the driver's handhelddevice to determine the location of the driver when the driver enteredthe speed limit information; and (2) save, in memory, an indication thatthe speed limit at that particular location is 45 mph.

In particular embodiments, the system may be adapted to use the driver'slocation information to identify the closest street segment to thedriver. In various embodiments, the system assumes that the speed limitentered by the driver corresponds to that particular street segment. Thesystem then saves, in the system's memory, data indicating that thespeed limit on the particular street segment is the speed limit enteredby the driver when the driver was close to, or on, that particularstreet segment.

As noted above, the vehicle's location at a particular time may bedetermined using a location sensor, such as a GPS sensor, on thedelivery vehicle 100. This may serve to provide accurate, up-to-datespeed limit information associated with each segment of each streetwithin a particular geofenced area (or other area).

In yet another embodiment, an average of the actual speed of the drivermay be used to estimate the government-assigned speed limit within aparticular geographical area. In particular, the speed that the deliveryvehicle 100 is being operated within the geofenced area throughout agiven period of time may be detected and accumulated. For example, thesystem may track the average speed of fleet vehicles traveling within aparticular geofenced area over a predetermined number of days and usethis average speed to estimate the speed limit within the area. Inparticular embodiments, one or more of the fastest and the slowest timesaccumulated may be thrown out, and an average may be taken of theremaining speeds in order to provide an estimate of the speed limitwithin the area.

In various embodiments, the central system (e.g., the central server 120and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operating onthe central server 120) may further be configured to gather informationassociated with the packages picked up and/or delivered within thegeofenced area. This information may include, for example, the cost,size, classification (e.g., “residential” or “commercial”), sender,recipient, and/or the like, associated with individual shipments, theoverall number of items shipped within a given period of time, and/orthe like.

Assigning Parameters to Geographic and/or Geofenced Areas

Turning again to FIG. 4, using the information received, the centralsystem (e.g., the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, theprocessor 310 or similar means operating on the server) may, at Block404, assign one or more parameters to each of the geofenced areas. Onceassigned, these parameters may be stored in a suitable database, such asthe database associated with the central system. In particularembodiments, the parameters may be stored in the central system'sdatabase in conjunction with the previously stored geofence coordinatescorresponding to the geofenced area. These parameters may thereafter beused, for example, to monitor the performance of a delivery vehicledriver operating within the geofenced area, to assist in providing adelivery route to the delivery vehicle driver, to provide more accuratepricing for the pickup and delivery of packages within the geofencedarea, and/or the like. In one embodiment, the parameters may include,for example, a backup limit, speed limit (which may be, for example, alegally binding speed limit or a target maximum speed limit assigned bya non-government entity, such as the owner of a fleet of vehiclesoperating within the geofenced area), plan time, cost per package and/orthe like. These parameters are discussed in greater detail below.Depending upon the parameter assigned, a different set of operations maybe performed by the central system. Examples of these operations areillustrated in FIGS. 5A through 5D.

For example, according to one embodiment, a “backup limit,” which mayrefer to the maximum number of times a driver is permitted to back uphis or her vehicle 100 while operating the vehicle 100 within thecorresponding geofenced area, may be assigned to a particular geofencedarea. The maximum number of backups may refer, for example, to thenumber of backups made within a given delivery cycle (e.g., one,eight-hour shift), a given day, or within each visit to the geofencedarea. For the latter, the system may be configured to reset the count ofbackups for a particular driver each time the driver exits and reentersthe geofenced area.

In one embodiment, the backup limit may be defined by the central system(e.g., the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310or similar means operating on the server) based on the zoningclassification defined for the geofenced area at Block 403. For example,the backup limit associated with a geofenced area that has beenclassified “residential” may be less than the backup limit associatedwith a geofenced area that has been classified “commercial” or“industrial.” Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention,the central system may access a look-up table that includes variouszoning classifications and corresponding permitted numbers of backups inorder to assign the appropriate backup limit in a particular situation.Alternatively, or in addition, the backup limit may further becorrelated, to some extent, with the average number of stops the drivermakes within the geofenced area (e.g., based on the telematics datareceived and analyzed at Block 403). For example, a first areaclassified as residential having a higher average number of stops than asecond area also classified as residential may have a higher backuplimit than the second residential area.

Where, for example, the parameter assigned to the geofenced area is abackup limit (as determined at Block 405), the number of times a driverbacks up his or her vehicle 100 while operating within the geofencedarea may be monitored (Block 501 a), and if it is determined, at Block502 a, that the driver has exceeded the backup limit assigned to thegeofenced area within a particular delivery cycle or entry into thegeofenced area (depending on how the backup limit is defined, asdescribed above), the central system may generate an alert (Block 503a). In particular, as discussed above, according to one embodiment, partof the telematics data received by the central system (e.g., the centralserver 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similar meansoperating on the server) from the telematics device 102 may include anindication of when the backing light(s) of the delivery vehicle 100 isturned on and off (e.g., using an on/off sensor). The central system mayuse this information to determine when the delivery vehicle 100 isbacking up and calculate, and/or keep track of, the number of times thisis performed within a given delivery cycle (e.g., a single day). If thenumber of times the user backs up exceeds the backup limit associatedwith the geofenced area within a particular delivery cycle, a particularvisit or entry into the geofenced area, and/or the like, the centralsystem may generate an alert, which may, for example, be transmitted tothe portable data acquisition device 110 operated by the driver andoutput to the driver of the vehicle 100. The portable data acquisitiondevice 110 may output the alert, for example, in the form of an audioand/or visual output (e.g., an audio alarm or a message on a displayscreen associated with the portable data acquisition device 110).Alternatively, or in addition, the alert may be used to generate areport associated with the driver and stored, for example, on a databaseassociated with the central system.

In an alternative embodiment, the portable data acquisition device 110,instead of the central system, may receive the telematics dataindicating when the delivery vehicle 100 is being backed up, andgenerate an alert when the number of times the delivery vehicle 100 isbacked up within a given delivery cycle exceeds the backup limit. Inthis embodiment, the portable data acquisition device 110 may bypass thecentral system altogether. In addition, however, the portable dataacquisition device 110 may communicate the alert to the central system,so that the central system (e.g., the central server 120 and, in oneembodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operating on the server)may store an indication of the alert in the driver's record.

Another example of a parameter that may be assigned to a geofenced areamay be a speed limit, or the maximum speed a driver is permitted toreach (e.g., according to an established set of driver performanceguidelines) while operating his or her delivery vehicle 100 within thecorresponding geofenced area. According to one embodiment, the speedlimit assigned to the geofenced area may be defined based on agovernment-assigned speed limit(s) associated with that geofenced area.For example, where more than one government-assigned speed limit existswithin the geofenced area, the speed limit assigned by the centralsystem (e.g., the central server 120 and, in one embodiment, theprocessor 310 or similar means operating on the server) to the geofencedarea may correspond to the lowest government-assigned speed limit, thehighest government-assigned speed limit, and/or an averagegovernment-assigned speed limit for the area. Where, for example, thereis no government-assigned speed limit (e.g., in a parking lot), thecentral system may assign a default speed limit to the geofenced area(e.g., 10 miles per hour).

Where, for example, the parameter assigned to the geofenced area is aspeed limit, the central system (e.g., the central server 120 and, inone embodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operating on theserver) may monitor the speed of a delivery vehicle 100 being operatedwithin the geofenced area (Block 501 b). In various embodiments, if itis determined, at Block 501 b, that the vehicle 100 has exceeded a speedlimit associated with the geofenced area (e.g., the speed limit assignedto the geofenced area by the central system, as described above), thecentral system may generate an appropriate alert (Block 503 b). Inparticular, as above with regard to the backup limit, according to oneembodiment, part of the telematics data received by the central systemfrom the telematics device 102 may include an indication of the speed ofthe delivery vehicle 100. The central system may use this information tomonitor whether the delivery vehicle's speed exceeds the speed limitassigned to the geofenced area. If the speed of the delivery vehicle 100exceeds the speed limit associated with the geofenced area, the centralsystem may generate an alert, which may, for example, be transmitted tothe portable data acquisition device 110 operated by the driver of thevehicle 100 and output to the driver, for example, in the form of anaudio and/or visual output. Alternatively, or in addition, the alert maycommunicated to a report associated with the driver and stored, forexample, on a database associated with the central system.

In an alternative embodiment, the portable data acquisition device 110,instead of the central system, may receive the telematics dataindicating the speed of the delivery vehicle 100, and generate an alertwhen the speed exceeds the speed limit. In fact, in one embodiment, theportable data acquisition device 110, and not the telematics device 102,may include a speed sensor (e.g., a GPS unit) for monitoring the speedof the driver and, in effect the delivery vehicle 100. In eitherembodiment, the portable data acquisition device 110 may bypass thecentral system altogether. In addition, however, the portable dataacquisition device 110 may communicate the alert to the central system,so that the central system (e.g., the central server 120 and, in oneembodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operating on the server)may store an indication of the alert in the driver's record.

Plan Times

According to another embodiment, a “plan time” may be assigned to eachgeofenced area. In one embodiment, the plan time associated with ageofenced area may refer to the overall amount of time it isanticipated, or planned, that a delivery vehicle driver will spendwithin the corresponding geofenced area during a given pick-up/deliverycycle (e.g., within a single day). Alternatively, or in addition, theplan time may refer to the amount of time it is expected that a deliveryvehicle driver will spend per package picked up or delivered within thegeofenced area. According to one embodiment, this parameter (e.g., plantime per package) may be combined with the average or actual number ofpackages picked up or delivered within the geofenced area within a givenpick-up/delivery cycle to determine the overall plan time associatedwith the geofenced area.

In either case, the plan time (e.g., the overall plan time or the plantime per package) may be calculated, for example, based, at least inpart, on the telematics data received (at Block 403) from the telematicsdevice 102 and/or portable data acquisition device 110 including, forexample, the time spent and distance (e.g., mile or kilometers)traversed within the geofenced area by a plurality of delivery vehicles100 over a period of time, the average time spent and distance traversed(e.g., walked) by the delivery vehicle driver per stop within thegeofenced area, the average speed at which the vehicle 100 was operatedwithin the geofenced area and, more specifically, at certain segmentswithin the geofenced area and at certain times of the day.

If a plan time parameter is assigned to the geofenced area (asdetermined at Block 405), the central system (e.g., the central server120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 or similar means operatingon the server) may use the plan time in at least one of two ways, asdetermined at Block 501 c.

In particular, according to one embodiment, the plan time associatedwith a geofenced area (e.g., the plan time per package picked up ordelivered within the geofenced area) may be used to monitor theperformance of a delivery vehicle driver operating within the geofencedarea (Block 502 c). For example, using the schedule of deliveries andpickups to occur within the geofenced area assigned to a particulardelivery vehicle driver for a given delivery cycle (e.g., one eight-hourshift) and the plan time associated with the geofenced area (e.g., theamount of time per package), the central system (e.g., the centralserver 120 and, in one embodiment, the processor 310 operating on thecentral server 120) may generate a “plan time schedule” associated withthe delivery vehicle driver. This plan time schedule may indicate whatnumber of packages the delivery vehicle driver should have picked up ordelivered at any given time of day.

For example, assuming the plan time for a particular geofenced area isfive minutes per package (or other predetermined time per package), andthe driver has been operating within the geofenced area forapproximately 25 minutes (or other predetermined time), according to theplan time schedule, the delivery vehicle driver should have picked up ordelivered five separate shipments or packages (e.g., 25 minutes dividedby five minutes/package). Deviations from the plan time schedule mayillustrate how well the delivery vehicle driver is performing. Forexample, if the delivery vehicle driver has only delivered or picked upthree shipments at that point in time, this may indicate that thedelivery vehicle driver is not operating as quickly or as efficiently ashe or she should. Alternatively, if the delivery vehicle driver hasalready picked up or delivered six shipments, this may indicate that thedelivery vehicle driver is operating more quickly or efficiently thanexpected. According to one embodiment, the delivery vehicle driver'sperformance may be reviewed at various times throughout his or her shiftand/or at the end of the shift. In the latter instance, the deliveryvehicle driver may have been able to make up for lost time and/or wastebanked time, such that his or her overall performance is on par withwhat would be expected given the plan time for that geofenced area.

In another embodiment, the plan time associated with a geofenced areamay be used to assign a delivery route to each of a plurality ofdelivery vehicle drivers (Block 503 c). In particular, according tovarious embodiments, each delivery vehicle driver may be allocated to asingle geofenced area, or some combination of two or more geofencedareas, for performing package pickups and deliveries within theallocated area(s). The determination of which and what number ofgeofenced areas to allocate or assign to the delivery vehicle driver maydepend, for example, on the overall plan time associated with therespective geofenced areas (e.g., the amount of time it is expected thatthe driver will spend within the geofenced area) and/or the plan timeper package associated with each geofenced area (e.g., the amount oftime it is expected that the driver will spend per package within thegeofenced area) in combination with either an average or the actualnumber of shipments (pickup or delivery) associated with the geofencedarea.

For example, where the overall plan time associated with a geofencedarea is relatively short, and the overall plan time associated with anearby geofenced area is similarly short, a single delivery vehicledriver may be allocated to both geofenced areas (e.g., he or she may beresponsible for picking up and delivering all shipments associated withthe two geofenced areas). Alternatively, where the plan time associatedwith a geofenced area is relatively large, a delivery vehicle driver mayonly be allocated this single geofenced area.

In addition to considering the plan time (e.g., overall or per package)associated with a geofenced area, according to various embodiments ofthe present invention, the distance between each geofenced area, and, inone embodiment, the average speed used to traverse that distance, maylikewise be taken into consideration when allocating geofenced areas todelivery vehicle drivers.

Finally, according to yet another embodiment a “cost per package” may beassigned to each geofenced area. In one embodiment, the cost per packagemay refer to the amount in dollars that is associated with the pickup ordelivery of a package within the geofenced area. This parameter, likethose discussed above, may be calculated, for example, based at least inpart on the telematics data received (at Block 403) from the telematicsdevice 102 and/or portable data acquisition device 110, in combinationwith other information gathered. For example, according to oneembodiment, the cost associated with the pickup or delivery of a packagewithin a geofenced area may be based, at least in part, on: (1) the timespent by the delivery vehicle driver at each stop; (2) the deliveryvehicle driver's compensation (e.g., per-hour wage or a portion of theannual salary); (3) the distance traversed in association with eachstop; (4) the average distance traversed per unit (e.g., liter orgallon) of fuel (e.g., gasoline) used by the delivery vehicle 100;and/or (5) the average cost per unit of gasoline. Using thisinformation, the central system (e.g., the central server 120 and, inone embodiment, the processor 310 operating on the central server 120)may calculate the average cost (e.g., in Dollars, Euros, or Yen) perstop made to pick up or deliver a package within the geofenced area.

If a cost per package parameter is assigned to the geofenced area (asdetermined at Block 405), the central system may, upon receipt of arequest to ship a package from or to a location within the geofencedarea (Block 501 d), use the assigned cost per package to calculate a feeto charge for the shipment that more accurately reflects the cost to thecarrier for the shipment (Block 502 d).

While, in some embodiments, only one of the backup limit, speed limit orplan time may be defined for a particular geofenced area, in otherembodiments any number and combination of parameters may be assigned tothe geofenced area in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention. These parameters may include any parameter which may be used,for example, to monitor safety within a geofenced area and/or assist inscheduling delivery of an item within the geofenced area. As a result,the foregoing examples are provided for exemplary purposes only andshould not be taken in any way as limiting the scope of embodiments ofthe present invention to the examples provided.

CONCLUSION

As should be appreciated, the embodiments may be implemented in variousways, including as methods, apparatus, systems, or computer programproducts. Accordingly, the embodiments may take the form of an entirelyhardware embodiment or an embodiment in which a processor is programmedto perform certain steps. Furthermore, the various implementations maytake the form of a computer program product on a computer-readablestorage medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied inthe storage medium. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may beutilized including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, ormagnetic storage devices.

The embodiments are described below with reference to block diagrams andflowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus, systems, and computerprogram products. It should be understood that each block of the blockdiagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, may be implementedin part by computer program instructions, e.g., as logical steps oroperations executing on a processor in a computing system. Thesecomputer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer, such as aspecial purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatusto produce a specifically-configured machine, such that the instructionswhich execute on the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus implement the functions specified in the flowchart block orblocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including computer-readableinstructions for implementing the functionality specified in theflowchart block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also beloaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatusto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computeror other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implementedprocess such that the instructions that execute on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus provide operations for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowchart block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrationssupport various combinations for performing the specified functions,combinations of operations for performing the specified functions andprogram instructions for performing the specified functions. It shouldalso be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowchartillustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams andflowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purposehardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions oroperations, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computerinstructions.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseembodiments of the invention pertain having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Therefore, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the inventionare not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and thatmodifications and other embodiments are intended to be included withinthe scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

1. A routing and scheduling computer system comprising: at least oneprocessor; and memory, wherein said computer system is configured for:defining a geofence surrounding a first geographic area; receiving afirst set of information associated with said first geographic area;determining, based at least in part on said first set of information, afirst time estimate, said first time estimate being an estimated amountof time associated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one ormore respective locations within said first geographic area within aparticular delivery cycle; defining a geofence surrounding a secondgeographic area; receiving a second set of information associated withsaid second geographic area; determining, based at least in part on saidsecond set of information, a second time estimate, said second timeestimate being an estimated amount of time associated with the deliveryof a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations withinsaid second geographic area during said particular delivery cycle; androuting a particular delivery vehicle to make one or more pickups ordeliveries in at least one of said first or second geographic areasbased at least in part on said first and second estimates of time. 2.The computer system of claim 1, wherein: (A) said computer system isfurther configured for: determining, based at least in part on saidfirst set of information, a third estimate of time, said third estimateof time being a period of time that is associated with the pickup of aplurality of parcels from one or more respective locations within saidfirst geographic area within said delivery cycle; and determining, basedat least in part on said second set of information, a fourth estimate oftime, said fourth estimate of time being a period of time that isassociated with the pickup of a plurality of parcels from one or morerespective locations within said second geographic area within saiddelivery cycle; and (B) said routing step is based, at least in part, onthe determined third and fourth estimates of time.
 3. The computersystem of claim 1, wherein, in order to gather information associatedwith said first and second areas, the computer system is furtherconfigured for: receiving data collected in association with a deliveryvehicle or a delivery vehicle driver, said data collected in real timewhile the delivery vehicle or delivery vehicle driver is operatingwithin said first and second geofenced areas.
 4. The computer system ofclaim 3, wherein the data collected comprises at least one of time data,geographic position data associated with the delivery vehicle,geographic position data associated with the delivery vehicle driver,speed data, mileage data, or ignition data.
 5. The computer system ofclaim 4, wherein the computer system is further configured for:calculating, based at least in part on the data collected, an averagenumber of miles traversed within each of the geofenced areas, whereinthe first, second, third, or fourth estimates are determined based atleast in part on the calculated average number of miles traversed. 6.The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computer system is furtherconfigured for: calculating, based at least in part on the datacollected, an average time spent within each of the geofenced areas,wherein the first, second, third, or fourth estimates are determinedbased at least in part on the calculated average time spent.
 7. Thecomputer system of claim 4, wherein the computer system is furtherconfigured for: calculating, based at least in part on the datacollected, an average speed conducted within each of the geofencedareas, wherein the first, second, third, or fourth estimates aredetermined based at least in part on the calculated average speedconducted.
 8. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computersystem is further configured for: calculating, based at least in part onthe data collected, an average number of stops made within each of thegeofenced areas, wherein the first, second, third, or fourth estimatesare determined based at least in part on the calculated average numberof stops made.
 9. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computersystem is further configured for: calculating, based at least in part onthe data collected, an average distance walked at each location withineach of the geofenced areas in association with a shipment of a packageto or from the location, wherein the first, second, third, or fourthestimates are determined based at least in part on the calculatedaverage distance walked.
 10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein inorder to allocate one or more geofenced areas to a delivery vehicledriver, the computer system is further configured to allocate the one ormore geofenced areas based at least in part on a distance betweenrespective geofenced areas.
 11. A package delivery system comprising: afleet of delivery vehicles; and a routing and scheduling computer systemthat comprises at least one computer processor and memory, said routingand scheduling computer system being adapted for: defining a firstgeofence surrounding a first geographic area; receiving a first set ofinformation associated with said first geographic area; determining,based at least in part on said first set of information, a first timeestimate, said first time estimate being an estimated amount of timeassociated with the delivery of a plurality of parcels to one or morerespective locations within said first geographic area within aparticular delivery cycle; defining a second geofence surrounding asecond geographic area; receiving a second set of information associatedwith said second geographic area; determining, based at least in part onsaid second set of information, a second time estimate, said second timeestimate being an estimated amount of time associated with the deliveryof a plurality of parcels to one or more respective locations withinsaid second geographic area during said particular delivery cycle; androuting a particular delivery vehicle to handle pickups or deliveries insaid first geofenced area based at least in part on said first andsecond estimates of time.
 12. The package delivery system of claim 11,wherein: (A) said routing and scheduling computer system is furtherconfigured for: determining, based at least in part on said first set ofinformation, a third estimate of time, said third estimate of time beinga period of time that is associated with the pickup of a plurality ofparcels from one or more respective locations within said firstgeographic area within said delivery cycle; and determining, based atleast in part on said second set of information, a fourth estimate oftime, said fourth estimate of time being a period of time that isassociated with the pickup of a plurality of parcels from one or morerespective locations within said second geographic area within saiddelivery cycle; and (B) said routing step is based, at least in part, onthe determined third and fourth estimates of time.
 13. The packagedelivery system of claim 11, wherein, in order to gather informationassociated with said first and second areas, the routing and schedulingcomputer system is further configured for: receiving data collected inassociation with a delivery vehicle or a delivery vehicle driver, saiddata collected in real time while the delivery vehicle or deliveryvehicle driver is operating within said first and second geofencedareas.
 14. The package delivery system of claim 13, wherein the datacollected comprises at least one of time data, geographic position dataassociated with the delivery vehicle, geographic position dataassociated with the delivery vehicle driver, speed data, mileage data,or ignition data.
 15. The package delivery system of claim 14, whereinthe routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for:calculating, based at least in part on the data collected, an averagenumber of miles traversed within each of the geofenced areas, whereinthe first, second, third, or fourth estimates are determined based atleast in part on the calculated average number of miles traversed. 16.The package delivery system of claim 14, wherein the routing andscheduling computer system is further configured for: calculating, basedat least in part on the data collected, an average time spent withineach of the geofenced areas, wherein the first, second, third, or fourthestimates are determined based at least in part on the calculatedaverage time spent.
 17. The package delivery system of claim 14, whereinthe routing and scheduling computer system is further configured for:calculating, based at least in part on the data collected, an averagespeed conducted within each of the geofenced areas, wherein the first,second, third, or fourth estimates are determined based at least in parton the calculated average speed conducted.
 18. The package deliverysystem of claim 14, wherein the routing and scheduling computer systemis further configured for: calculating, based at least in part on thedata collected, an average number of stops made within each of thegeofenced areas, wherein the first, second, third, or fourth estimatesare determined based at least in part on the calculated average numberof stops made.
 19. The package delivery system of claim 14, wherein therouting and scheduling computer system is further configured for:calculating, based at least in part on the data collected, an averagedistance walked at each location within each of the geofenced areas inassociation with a shipment of a package to or from the location,wherein the first, second, third, or fourth estimates are determinedbased at least in part on the calculated average distance walked. 20.The package delivery system of claim 11, wherein in order to allocateone or more geofenced areas to a delivery vehicle driver, the routingand scheduling computer system is further configured to allocate the oneor more geofenced areas based at least in part on a distance betweenrespective geofenced areas.